Tube-welding machine



Aug. 2,1927. 1,637,679

D. w. cHlsHoLM TUBE `WELDI NG MACHINE 1,637,679 Aug 2 1927' D. w. cHlsHoLM TUBE WELDING MACHINE Filed Jan.26, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 las? ze 01.53 35 n 6 18 /N VE/V TOR Aug. 2,1927.

D. W. CHISHOLM TUBE WELDING MAcHNE Filed Jan.26. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /Ny/mfe DOUGLAS WHW/ST5@ Cf//s//Q/M Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,537,679 PATENT OFFICE.

.'DUGLAS 'WVHIMSTEB CHISHOLM, OF GARNKIBK, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOIB, T0 THE BIRCH- FIELIU ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED, F CARDIFF, WALES.

TUBE-WELDING MACHINE.

Application med January 26, 1925, Serial No. 4,(977, and in Great Britain April 22, 1924.

This invention relates to tube welding machines of the type wherein a heated metal strip is drawn through a bell or die, and, a suitable welding gas being applied to the edges of the strip, the same are closed and welded together by the action of rolls and (or) other suitable devices.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the die can be easily interchanged; whereby should a skelp stick in the die, both die and skelp can be quickly removed and the work allowed vto proceed; whereby the upper roll can Lbe uickly moved into and out of position; w ereby the various operations can be effected by power; and whereby, in general, the output per unit of time of welded tubes may be increased. f I

According .to the invention a tube welding machine is provided wherein the die through which the heatedmetal strip is drawn from the furnace is gripped equally around its peripheral surface by two separate and similar jaw members, carried by slides, which, with the members thereon, are capable of sim ltaneous horizontal movement towards or away from each other to grip or release respectively the said die. The said 4slides may befin the form of slidable tubes and may be operated by screw shafts driven b power; A pairl of superposed closing rol 1s -used in conjunction with the die, the upper closing roll being supported in bearings on. a vertically slidable frame which is f journalled at each end thereof in guides and is' capable of being raised or lowered by power with respect to the lower roll. To operate the movable parts of the tube welding machine, power may be derived from any suitable source, preferably the drawchain wheel shaft of the draw bench, reversible driving gear being provided for the movable upper closing roll, and for the slides carrying the jaw members for the die.

In the process of manufacture it occasionally happens that a heated strip sticks in the die and cannot be skelped by the action vof the draw chain. In accordance with the present invention, a method of rapidly interchanging the welding die is provided to meet'thls contingency, t e said method comprising the steps of simultaneously drawin apart the jaw members which normally hold the die in operative position, raising the upper closing roll of the machine, removing the die; and strip so released, replacing the removed die by another die, moving the said .jaw members together simultaneously seo as to'grip and hold in operative position the machine;

Fig. 2 is a ffront elevation of the same, with the main driving gear;

Fig. 3 is a sectional the line XX Fig. 2; 4

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing in ysection the construction and dispositionof the brackets carrying the closing rolls;

Figs. 5 and 6 show the bell-holder in elevationiand plan respectively, the bell being shown in the holder.

Referring tothe drawings T y The frame of the machine consists of foundation members 1, 2, upon which are erected theysupporting columns 3 and 4, car- `rying the transverse girders 5, 6. These girders carry the vertical guides 7 and 8 forming a guideway for the slide frame 9, the lower end of which is arranged to carry the upper roll 10 in bearing brackets 11, 11.

plan view taken on A Vertical movement of the upper closing roll 10 is obtained by means vofthe screwed shaft 12 working in a bearing nut 12 supported on the transverse girders 5, the screw being revolved by means of the bevel wheels 13, 14, through shafting 15 and chain and sprocket gear 16, 16, 17,.from the drivin shaft 18 of the draw bench chain wheel Adjoining the foundation members 1, 2, and secured thereto are bed plates 19 and 20, the upper faces of which are formed with dovetail guides 21,22. Slidable tables 23, 24, are arranged upon the guide-ways 21, 22, respectively, and are capable of being moved laterally in either direction (Figs. 2 and 3) along these guides by means of the screw shafts 25 and 26, which as will be seen are screwed right and left hand. The screw shafts 25, 26, are provided with s rocket wheels 27, 28, respectively driven t rough chains 29, 29, by the sprocket wheels 30 and 31 mounted upon the shaft 32. On the shaft 32 is a sprocket wheel 33 which throughthe chain 34 receives drivin@r motion from the sprocket wheel 35 on the main shaft 18. The bed-plates 19, 20, are formed with brackets .36 and 37 respectively, which, at 38 and 38a, are arranged to carry the shaft 39upon which is mounted the lower roll 40. The shaft 39 is also journalled at 4l and 42 on the foundation member 2, and be-y tween these bearings 41, 42, there is secured on the shaft the sprocket wheel 43. Onthe main shaft 18 is mounted a sprocket wheel 44 which by means of the chain 45 drives the sprocket wheel 43.

Firmly secured to the slidable tables 23, 24, are thejaw members, 46 and 47, respectively, of the bell-holder. The jaw members grip the bell or die 48 (see F ig. 5) and hold it steady during the welding process, whilst by drawing apart the slidable tables 23, 24, by the screws 25, 26, the bell or die is quickly released and may be liftedout of position and interchanged.

The tube welding machine may be provided with any suitable reversible driving gear oney form being shown in Fig. 3. The

dog-clutch 49 is adapted to rotate with and is slidable on the main shait 18, so 'that by means of the forked lever 50 the clutch may be made toy engage either of the loosely mounted bevel wheels 5l and 52. integral with the bevel lwheel 52 is the sprocket wheel 35 which therefore can be driven posi-v tively from the mainsliait i8, through the clutch 49 being made to engage the bevel wheel 52. rlhe sprocket wheel is driven reversely when the clutch is made to engage the bevel wheel 5i the drive being then transmitted to the wheel 52 through the intermediate wheel 53.

Lilrewise the sprocket wheel l? may be made to rotate in either direction by operating the forked lever 4 to put the dog clutch 55 into engagement with the bevel wheel 53 or bevel wheel 57.

The sproclret wheel 44 is arranged to rotate with. the main shaftl, and, through the chain 45 and sprocket wheel 43, 'drives the lower roll 40 which-in turn rotates the upper roll l0 by means of any suitable gearing, as, for example, the toothed estensione 58 and 59 ci the closing rolls.

To illustrate the relative position. of tube welding machine, the furnace and bench are shown in dotted lines (Figs. 7i and Si at A and respectively. rlhe heats metal strip is drawn from the 'furnace through the door C and the bell or die 43, Thereafter a suitable welding gas the nozzle 6i having beenapplied to underside o" the strip at l 1 edges thereof, he said edges are closed d welded together lmown manner, by ie closing r "s the welded. 'tube travelling along bench B as usual.

.as a convenient source ci power c2 manera f wheel shaftof the draw bench is shown as being utilized; but the parts may be driven from an independentmotor if so desired.

lt is obvious from the foregoing that the welding bells can be easily changed on opening and closing the holder; that should a skelped strip. stick in aibell bothy the bell and strip can be quickly removed on raising the top roll 10 and lopening the holder. Owing to the arrangement of gearing the upper roll can lbe quickly raised and lowered as desired.

Having now fully described my invention what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v l. A tube welding machine comprising a bell-shaped die, two separate and similar jaw members adapted to grip equally therebetween the peripheral surface of the die, slidable tables carrying the said members, means for eecting simultaneous horizontal movement oi the said tables towards or away from each other to grip or release the die, a pair oi' superposed upper and lower rolls, a beam structure, fined brackets on the said structure bearings on said brackets tor the lower roll, a movable frame, vertical journals carried by the said structure for each side of said frame, bearings on the said trame to support the upper roll, means to raise and lower the said trame, caps Jfor retaining the upper roll bearings, a lug integral with each oi said caps, caps for retaining the lower roll bearings, and a. recess formed in each of said last mentioned caps said lugs engaging with said recesses to interlock said rolls when together against relative horizontal movement, and means for rotating the rolls.

2. A tube welding machine comprising a bellshaped die, two separate and similar jaw members adapted to grip equally therebetween the peripheral surface of the die, slidable tables carrying the said members, screw shafts for said tables adapted to effect simultaneous horizontal movement of said tables towards or away from each other to directly grip or release respectively the said die, a driven shaft, chain and sprocket gear connecting said driven shaft and screw shafts for the slidable tables, a pair or" superposed upper and lower rolls, a beam structure, fined brackets on the said structure, bearingson said brackets for the lower roll, a niovableflirame, vertical journals carried by 'thea structure for each side o said bearings on the trame to support the upper, roll, a central screw shaft to support said frame and eftect vertical movement thereof, a bearing nut in which the said screw shaft is mounted, bevel gear to rotate nut, chain and sprocket gee-.r between said chain wheel shaft and said centrai screw shaft, caps for retaining the uproll bearings, e lug integral with sachet said caps, caps for retaining the lower roll bearings, and a recess formed in each of said last mentioned caps said lugs engaging with the said recesses to interlock said rolls when together against relative horizontal movement,vtoothed extensions on the upper and lower closing rolls, and ychain and sprocket wheel gear connecting said driven shaft and the lower roll.

3. In a tube welding machine a frame structure7 a drive gearm said frame structure, a pair of jaw members arranged to be simultaneously adjusted by said drive gear toward or away from each other having their` faces recessed for directly gripping a bell shaped die,. a pair of roller members, one of said rollerlmembers being journaled in a position ad'acent said bell shaped die and the other o said roller members -being vertically adjustable toward or away from said aforementioned roller member, and connections between said drive gear and said adjustable roller member whereby said jaw members and said roller members may be simultaneously separated by the operation of said drive gear.

4. In a tube welding machine ay frame structure, a drive gear positioned in said frame structure, a air of jaw members si- 'multaneously mova le toward or away from each other in the same plane within said 'frame structure upon operation'of said drive gear, each of said jaw members being recessed to directly grip a bell shaped die therebetween, a pair of roller members, each arranged adjacent one end of said bell shaped die, one of said roller members being journaled in said frame structure and the other of said roller members being adjustable toward or away from said first mentioned vroller member in a vdirection at4 right angles to the direction of movement of said jaw members and connections between said adjustable roller members and A.said drive gear whereby said roller members may vbe separated simultaneouslyA with the separation of said ljaw members for the releasing of said bell shaped die and the tube passing through said roller members.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

DOUGLAS 'MISTER CHISHOLM. 

